Fan assembly

ABSTRACT

A fan assembly all made from a plastics material and combined to a fluid drive coupling for use in automobiles wherein a fitting member made from a metal material is provided between the drive coupling assembly and the fan thereby obstructing the heat flow from the coupling to the assembly.

United States Patent Hayashi Feb. 15, 1972 [54] FAN ASSEMBLY 2,948,2688/1960 Roper et a1. ..123/4l.l1 2,986,250 5/1961 Becker ..4l6/l69 X [72]Invent Japan 3,260,312 7/1966 Elmer .416/241 A x 1 1 Assignee: i SeikiKabushiki Kaisha, K r y 3,272,188 9/1966 Sabat ..123/41.11 Alchl PfefqJapan 3,522,795 8/1970 Seifert ..123/41.12 [221 Filed May FOREIGNPATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [21] 34678 227,212 8/1943 Switzerland ..4l6/207Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Everette A. Powell,Jr. May 11, 1969 Japan ..44/42739 Scheme Park" 52 us. (:1 ..4l6/l69,416/95, 416/241 1 1 ABSTRACT 51 1111. c1 ..F04d 29/34 A fan assemb,

y all made from a plastlcs matenal and com- [58] Field Search "416/17 1241 95 bined to a fluid drive coupling for use in automobiles wherein afitting member made from a metal material is provided [56] Reemmes cuedbetween the drive coupling assembly and the fan thereby ob- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS structing the heat flow from the coupling to theassembly.

2,041,507 5/1936 Zeder ..4l6/134 X 6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure mzmmmxsmn3.642.382

v INVENTOR. Masalwmru Hmgwshi,

Afiorn 1 FAN ASSEMBLY The invention relates to cooling fan assembliesfor use in automobiles to control the temperature of intemal-combustionengines thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to the fanassembly wherein the fan hub and the fan blades are all made from aplastic material.

above disadvantage in the prior art by providing a new and improved fanassembly wherein a circular fitting member made from a metal material isprovided in the heat transmitting path from the fluid coupling assemblyto the fan assembly so that little heat is transmitted to the fanassembly.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a fan assembly mounted on theoutput member ofa fluid coupling, the tips of the fan blades not beingshown.

Referring to the drawing, the fluid coupling assembly 10 is provided aninput coupling member 11 and an output coupling member 12. The inputcoupling member 11 is mounted on an input shaft 13 which is driven by aV-belt (not shown). The V-belt is driven by an engine shaft (not shown)and passes around a V-shaped slot 14 of a pulley 15.

In the outer periphery of the output coupling member 12, there isattached a circular fitting member 16 made from a metal material. Thefitting member 16 is fixed to the output coupling 12 by bolts 17 andnuts 18.

Some vent holes 19 are preferably provided in the fitting member 16 in acircular path to accomplish a cooling effect of the fitting member 16.

A fan assembly 20 is made from a plastics material and comprises a hubportion 21 and fan blades 22. Bushes 23 are passed through holes in thefitting member 16 and the fan hub 21 and are provided at the ends with aflange 24 and a flange 25. One outwardly extending flange 24 is formedbefore fitting of the bush 23 and the other outwardly extending flange25 is formed after fitting thereof, whereby the fitting member 16 andthe fan hub are secured to each other.

Between the output coupling member 12 and the input coupling member 11there is formed a chamber 26. A viscous fluid such as a silicone oil iscontained in the chamber 26 and experiences considerable viscousshearing forces when the input shaft 13 is driven. By virtue of theseviscous shearing forces, rotational movement is transmitted to theoutput coupling member 12, the fitting member 16 fixed thereto, and thefastening bushes 23, thus causing the fan assembly 20 to be rotated. Itshould be noted that the temperature in the fluid working chamber 26becomes high due to the shearing resistance of the fluid in spite ofcooling fins 27 which are provided on the outer surfaces of the outputcoupling member 12. On the hub portions 21', there are providedprojections 28 which are fitted in openings 29 provided at the outerperiphery of the fitting member 16, thereby transmitting the rotationalmovement from the fitting member 16 to the fan assembly 20 incooperation with the fastening bushes 23.

According to the feature of the invention, heat flow from the outputcoupling member 12 to the fan assembly 20 is obstructed by the circularfitting member 16 which is caused to cool byvirtue of the vent holes 19so that the fan assembly 20 is not deformed, cracked nor melted due tothe high heat of the fluid coupling assembly 10. I

The fitting member 16 is fastened tight to the fan hub 21 by the bushes23 and to the output coupling member 12 by the bolts 17 and the nuts 18so that the rotational movement of the fluid coupling assembly 10 ispositively transmitted to the fan assembly 20.

In addition, the fitting member 16 is engaged at its outer peripherywith the projections 28 of the fan assembly 20 so that the rotationtorque on the bushes 23 is diminished so as not to create torsionthereon.

1 claim:

1. A fan assembly operatively connected to an output member of a fluiddrive coupling driven by an engine, comprising a hub portion made of aplastic material, fan blades projecting radially from said hub portionand made of a plastic material and a substantially annular metal fittingmember secured adjacent its outer periphery to said hub portion andadjacent its inner periphery to the output member of the fluid drivecoupling, whereby heat from the output member is substantially preventedfrom passing to said hub portion.

2. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fitting member iscircular.

3. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metal fittingmember is provided with vent holes between the inner and outerperipheries thereof for aiding in radiation of heat from the outputmember before being transmitted to said hub portion.

4. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hub portion isprovided with projections for engaging openings provided in said fittingmember to aid in transmitting torque therebetween.

5. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising bushesfor securing said fitting member to said hub portion, said bushes beingprovided with outwardly extending flanges at each end thereof.

6. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner periphery ofsaid fitting member is provided with a plurality of bolt holes to securesaid fitting member to the output member of the fluid drive coupling.

1. A fan assembly operatively connected to an output member of a fluiddrive coupling driven by an engine, comprising a hub portion made of aplastic material, fan blades projecting radially from said hub portionand made of a plastic material and a substantially annular metal fittingmember secured adjacent its outer periphery to said hub portion andadjacent its inner periphery to the output member of the fluid drivecoupling, whereby heat from the output member is substantially preventedfrom passing to said hub portion.
 2. A fan assembly as claimed in claim1 wherein said fitting member is circular.
 3. A fan assembly as claimedin claim 1, wherein said metal fitting member is provided with ventholes between the inner and outer peripheries thereof for aiding inradiation of heat from the output member before being transmitted tosaid hub portion.
 4. A fan assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidhub portion is provided with projections for engaging openings providedin said fitting member to aid in transmitting torque therebetween.
 5. Afan assembly as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising bushes forsecuring said fitting member to said hub portion, said bushes beingprovided with outwardly extending flanges at each end thereof.
 6. A fanassembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner periphery of saidfitting member is provided with a plurality of bolt holes to secure saidfitting member to the output member of the fluid drive coupling.